EUROCENTRIC VIEWS OF AFRICA AND EUROPEAN …

1 Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review Vol. 2, ; Nov. 2012 1 EUROCENTRIC VIEWS OF AFRICA AND EUROPEAN IMPERIALISM Jadesola Babatola, B. , Jubreel Babatunde Odukoya,2 and Salihu, Abdulwaheed 1 Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria 2 Universiti Utara Malaysia, Malaysia 3 Universiti Utara Malaysia, Malaysia Abstract The ideological imperialism by Western Europe is extensively employed across African countries in the 19th and 20th centuries respectively in order to justify the economic and political activities across their borders. The concept of imperialism is critically studied by scholars such as John Gallagher and Ronald Robinson amongst other scholars in the 19th century.

2 In order to corroborate their studies on imperialism, this paper aims to discuss the knitty-gritty of EUROCENTRIC VIEWS of AFRICA and EUROPEAN imperialism with modern day economic and political activities across borders in AFRICA and EUROPEAN countries. Keywords: EUROCENTRIC , Imperialism, Economic Activities and political Activities. INTRODUCTION Imperialism is a political and economic ideology of Western Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries employed to justify the economic and political activities history of the western nations across their borders. The notion of imperialism in the 19th centuries were popularly promoted by scholars like John Gallagher and Ronald Robinson who sees EUROPEAN Imperialism as a sphere of influence which can be built without necessarily creating or establishing a formal, legal control by one government over another country, though the idea of an empire can be extended informally if possible and formally if necessary 1.

3 EUROCENTRIC scholars attempted to distinguish the differences between Imperialism and Colonialism drew a differentiation thus: imperialism operates from the centre as a state policy developed for ideological and financial reasons, whereas colonialism is a state policy conceived for development of settlements or commerce The implication from the above is that if imperialism conceived to foist modernisation and to financially engage in overseas development, it should not be seen as exploitative and domineering. Several writings of earlier EUROPEAN historians, regarded as EUROCENTRIC VIEWS EUROPEAN Imperialism in AFRICA from view -lens of the fact that Europeans were been mesmerized by formal empire and maps of the world with regions coloured red.

4 The bulk of British emigration, trade and capital went to areas outside the formal British 3 If the foregoing assertion is true, then the basis of imperialism is to merely expand British influence to other nations, with the aim to help develop their potentials and bring modernization to other parts of the world. By so doing, the people and societies of those 1 Wikipedia Online Resource, Imperialism (2012) Google docs. 2 Gilmartin, Mary. Gallaher, C , Key Concepts in political Geography, Sage Publications: Imperialism/Colonialism pg.

5 116 3 Louis, Wm. Roger. (1976) Imperialism pg. 4 Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review Vol. 2, ; Nov. 2012 2 continents are bound to be enlightened and be integrated as part of the growing modern world. On the other hand, scholars who attempted a reconstruction of African history provided empirical data and historical facts that undermine the intent of EUROPEAN Imperialism in AFRICA by her prosecution and levels of development attained when the colonizers left AFRICA at the time of THEORETICAL APPRAISAL OF THE NOTION OF IMPERIALISM Classical writers on the notion of imperialism in the study of human history are Hobson, V.

6 Lenin and Schumpeter among others. The imperative of their concept lies in the argument whether imperialism is an exploitation of economic interests for capital accumulation or the races for highest social efficiency and modernization of the global market and other continents. In articulating the notion of Imperialism, Hobson asserted that psychological motivation was behind the notion of Imperialism. He argued that It is desirable that the earth should be peopled, governed, and developed, as far as possible, by the races which can do this work best, by the races of highest social efficiency 5 whose aim consist of the following ingredients: (a) National pride, (b) Quest for glory and (c) Bellicosity.

7 Beyond these psycho-behavioural analyses lay elements of dominant economic motivations which Hobson also identified as follows: a. Development of capitalism and tendency for production to outgrow consumption; b. Industrialization and creation of massive production lines in West industry which facilitated need for imported raw materials; c. Domestic and social developments in Europe in areas of growing urban population, need for more food and rising cost of standard of living which increased demands for luxury goods; d. Opportunities for higher returns on investments and the quest for markets; and e. The control, collaborations and eventual cooperation of the political machineries of the modern state system to protect the EUROPEAN economy by increasing purchasing power of the working class through introduction of production quotas, tariff barriers, taxation of goods and safeguarding of investments with acquisition of overseas market.

8 A general assumption propounded by Hobson was that in as much as Imperialism brought higher taxation to the EUROPEAN domestic economy , it increased the wealth and foreign investment of Europe as well as her militarization of the world through conquest and occupation. Hence, Imperialism eventually became a vehicle of the growing cosmopolitan of capital, though it was regrettably seen by Europe at an inevitable aspect of industrial progression in human Hobson s definition of Imperialism is likened to what some scholars partly refer to as welfare imperialism . Joseph Schumpeter essay titled Zur Soziologie der Imperialismus (The Sociology of Imperialism) dwell extensively on the motivation of EUROPEAN Imperialism as an aggressive expansionism and military adventurism (an atavism) without any rational logic.

9 He noted that imperialism is a heritage of the autocratic outcome of ore-capitalist forces which the autocratic state has reorganized and would never have been evolved by the inner logic of 4 Boahen, Adu: African Perspectives on Colonialism, Baltimore, John Hopkins University Press (1987) pg. 1-14 5 Hobson, , Imperialism A Study, Cosimo Inc, 2005 pg. 154 6 Hobson, , Imperialism A Study, Cosimo Inc, 2005 Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review Vol. 2, ; Nov. 2012 3 He argued that it was an attempt that did not go beyond the habit and instinctive mode of Europeans to struggle for survival and supremacy in a world of wars and pressures where situation of threats and dangers of survival persists.

10 Conquering the world and expanding sphere of influence was the best Schumpeter disagreed with the notion that Imperialism was basically fuelled by economic desires since capitalism is much more concerned with promotion of individuality and rationalism, democracy, innovative, mechanized and specialized world system, all which does not naturally allow for wasteful and risky adventurism. However, many scholars have rejected that position, noting that most nations in history do not engage in costly military adventurism unless economic interest is involved from the sharing of spoils of war, occupation of foreign lands to acquiring of slaves and cheap labour since the days of Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Grecian and Roman Empires.